Thursday, 29 March 2012

John Coltrane and Yoga

Actually this is more about the influence of Indian music and thought on his playing but supposedly he practiced yoga of some kind around 1958.

If you haven't listened to him before I'm told he can take a little getting used to , give hymn a listen one evening when it's quiet or go to bed half an hour earlier and take your earphones with you or perish the thought put Love supreme on while you do an evening practice.

In the course of his search for structure within this loosening of harmonic boundaries, Coltrane began studying Indian and other non-Western scales and modes. Lewis Porter notes that Coltrane started paying particular attention to the music of the Indian sitar master Ravi Shankar in early 1961.1 “I collect the records he’s made, and his music moves me” Coltrane stated. “I’m certain that if I recorded with him I’d increase my possibilities tenfold, because I’m familiar with what he does and I understand and appreciate his work.”2 Following their introduction in 1964, Shankar and Coltrane began to converse about Indian music. Regarding these lessons, Shankar recalled: “I could give just bare beginning and main things about Indian music and he became more and more interested.”3 Coltrane had intended to spend six months studying with Shankar in 1967, but died before this could take place.4 The importance of Shankar to Coltrane is evidenced by the fact that the latter named his son Ravi in 1965.
Coltrane also developed an interest in Indian religion and philosophy. Though raised in a Methodist household, he did not consider himself to be specifically Hindu, Christian, Muslim, or any other single faith. However, by the mid-1960s, the religion and philosophy of India took on a special importance for him, as evidenced by the titles of such compositions as “India” (1961, from Live At the Village Vanguard) and “Om” (1965, from the album Om). Lewis Porter notes that Coltrane “made a special study of India,” including the writings of Paramahansa Yogananda and Mohandas Gandhi.5 Bill Cole states that Coltrane was aware of the works of the South Indian spiritual teacher and philosopher Krishnamurti and practiced yoga.6 Coltrane integrated Indian music and concepts into his style in a number of ways. On the one hand, he incorporated various structural elements of Indian music. These include the use of the drone, ideas of melodic development, and rhythmic and metric considerations. On the other hand, he drew from Indian religion and philosophy in both literal and abstract ways. While none of these elements dominated his playing and composing, as a whole they reflect Coltrane’s profound interest in drawing from the music and thought of India as his personal style evolved.
The Indian use of the drone was a significant influence on much of Coltrane’s music after the late 1950s, beginning with his 1959 composition “Naima” from the album Giant Steps. “India” provides a more overt reference to the Indian drone. In this piece, which is probably derived from an Indian Vedic chant,7 a G pedal point is used throughout. Coltrane uses this drone-like pedal point in other tunes as well, such as “Psalm” (1964, from A Love Supreme), “After the Rain” (1963, from Impressions), and “Chim Chim Cheree” (1965, from The John Coltrane Quartet Plays).

Coltrane was not the only jazz musician in the early- to mid-1960s to look to Indian music for inspiration, as can be seen in the works of Yusef Lateef, Harihar Rao and Don Ellis, and John Mayer. Coltrane was apparently among the first to do so, however, and his high profile in the jazz world inspired many others to follow suit. Former bandmates Miles Davis, Pharaoh Sanders, and Alice Coltrane later drew from Indian sources to varying degrees. By the late 1960s, Indian ideas had begun to permeate Western popular and art music, from the Beatles to Philip Glass. Coltrane and Ravi Shankar were likely two of the most prominent catalysts for this movement.

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The year 1958 had been a really good one for Trane. he had continued his studies of Eastern thinkers ; he had been involved in yoga; and was trying to get on a non-meat diet, but he really wasn't too successful at the latter.John Coltrane Bill Cole,

The picture of Coltrane on the wall beside my repair bench

The last part of A love Supreme, Psalm (album in full above) is a poem and one of the many remarkable things about it is that you can hear Coltrane Playing the words to the poem.

In the final movement, Coltrane performs what he calls a "musical narration" (Lewis Porter describes it as a "wordless 'recitation'")[4]of a devotional poem he included in the liner notes. That is, Coltrane "plays" the words of the poem on saxophone, but does not actually speak them. Some scholars have suggested that this performance is a homage to the sermons of African-Americanpreachers.[5] The poem (and, in his own way, Coltrane's solo) ends with the cry "Elation. Elegance. Exaltation. All from God. Thank you God. Amen."[6]

This is a compilation of some of my favourite Coltrane albums on the Impulse label (early 60's), the Ballad albums, the one with Johnny Hartman and the Coltrane/Ellington album, all excellent in their own right.

Bit more out the is the My Favourite Things album

and really really out there is OM

for bebop you have to go with Giant steps

and don't miss out him playing with Miles Davis on Kind of Blue

The Ken Burns series of CD's is always good, the Coltrane one excellent and a good overview.

Must try Kind of Blue Joan, never thought I'd practice along to music but found when i Switched my Ashtanga to the evening I occasionally needed something to help with the transition from cycling home to the practice room. Bhagavan Das was first but the some Coltrane.

A Reminder

from Kalama sutra, translation from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi This blog included.

"So, as I said, Kalamas: 'Don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, "This contemplative is our teacher." When you know for yourselves that, "These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering" — then you should abandon them.' Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said.

"Now, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness' — then you should enter & remain in them. Buddha - Kalama Sutta